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The busy season has officially arrived!

Sorry for the long gap between postings… the busy season has arrived here on the farm. That being said, you’d think since I’m here full time now that I would have more time to post. But the more I’m outside, the more I notice that treats need to be dispensed and cuddles need to be handed out, and before I know it the entire morning has passed. All the critters are doing well, particularly the three pigs. They’ve just about outgrown their Igloo, and when I feed them in the morning they all try to barrel out the entrance at once, and the whole enclosure rocks from side to side. Charlotte, the biggest, usually wins that battle and squeezes out first. I’ve changed their feeding station to a large plastic tub with a 50-lb feed bag dumped into it; otherwise I have to feed them like six times a day. They love the new arrangement, and have started sleeping in the tub to maximize their midnight snacking potential.

The baby bunnies similarily love their new living situation; I went to feed them yesterday and saw they had pulled a Houdini and somehow opened their door. Frolicking bunnies greeted me when I stepped inside, and they were joyful. Harvey is a trooper, and he actually started grooming them and playing with them. At least I assume he’s grooming them, and not doing a taste test. He seems to enjoy the company though, and lets the little ones climb all over him. Gene’s next project (in an unending list of next projects) is to install a gate and pen that allows access to the overgrown area behind the Bunny Ranch. They constantly strive to munch on the long grass growing behind it, so they would love the extra room. And what Harvey wants, Harvey gets, so I’ve put in the work order for Gene.

The chickens absolutely love their new space, now that they’re used to it. At sunset, I like to sit on the porch and watch them prepare to roost for the evening. It’s quite the process; first they stand and stare up at the roosting poles, deciding where they’d like to sleep for the night. Evidently it’s quite the decision, because they’ll stare for up to ten minutes. Once they’ve picked a prime location, the roosting dance begins. They sway back and forth, then start shifting their weight from one foot to another. Then the flapping begins, and several false starts later, they’ll jump up one bar at a time until they’re at their chosen destination. Too bad for any chickens that happen to already be there – they’ll knock them off. Turning around to face out the door is a whole other process, since chickens don’t pivot around on one foot very gracefully. I’m kind of like a Nascar fan secretly hoping for a crash – it’s pretty funny when they fall off the bar mid-pivot.

In other chicken news, the baby chicks are growing fast. The Blue Cochins have sprouted feathers on their feet, so it looks like they’re clomping around in moon boots. I think one of them is a rooster, because whenever I go check on them, he jumps up onto the highest brach of the roosting bar, squares his feet, and stares at me like he’s asking me to come in there and start something. It just seems like such a boy attitude that I’m assuming the crowing will start any day now.